Reciprocating system



March 19, 1957 M. E. FRANCISCO 2,785,575

RECIPROCATING SYSTEM Filed Jan. 19, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l MARSHALL 5 FRANC/sco /NVENTO/P HuEaA/ER, @EE/1MP,

woRREL a Hmz/6 ATTOQNEKS March 19, 1957 M. E. FRANclsco RECIPROCATING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheel 2 Filed Jan. 19,` 1953 Y m mwllmmllllllllllllliwmm l l l l A H M qu Y d l lll Ilillll. l y Jj L .57 58 .53 25o 69 58 .5a .57

MARSHALL E. FRANC/$60 /N VEN TOR www RECIPROCATING SYSTEM Marshall E. Francisco, San Jose, Calif., assigner of one-half to himself, as trustee Application .lanuary 19, 1953, Serial No. 331,935

6 Claims. (Cl. 74-43) The present invention relates to reciprocating systems generally characterized by those employed in packing apparatus and more particularly to a system for reciprocating a packing head or the like in a rectilinear path alternately between a substantially constant position at one end of the path and a succession of positions ot predetermined progression in spaced relation thereto.

Although the system of the present invention is not limited in its utility to operation in packing apparatus it is conveniently illustrated in connection therewith and finds particular utility in a packing apparatus of the character described in my co-pending patent application Serial No. 310,198 tiled September 18, 1952, now Patent No. 2,661,882. The problems which the present invention has overcome are conveniently illustrated by reference to the packing of stued olives in transparent glass bottles. Stutied olives are generally received in bulk from various Southern European sources and previously were hand packed in the United States into the small glass bottles of the type generally displayed in grocery stores, delicatessens, and the like. Prior to the previous invention, the olives were :selected from bulk and placed by hand with the aid of tweezers in the bottles With the stuliing outwardly disposed and faced against the bottle walls so as exteriorly to present a smooth and pleasing appearance. The olives were circularly arranged in the bottles and compacted so that by their own resilience in the circular arrangement, firm engagement with the walls of the bottles was maintained. This tedious and expensive process was at one time the universal practice in the packing of stuiied olives and even at the present is followed by many packers who have not yet been able to mechanize their operation. The labor for such hand packing, is of such extent that a substantial portion of the total cost of each bottle of olives results from the packing operation.

In the mechanizing of the olive packing operation, it not only is important precisely to arrange the olives in their circular arrangement and to urge them outwardly into facing engagement against walls of the bottles in which they are packed, as disclosed in my co-pending patent application identified above, but it is also necessary precisely to position successive layers of olives. The olives are packed by a packing head which is mounted for reciprocation in a rectilinear path alternately between a substantially constant loading position in which olives are placed in the packing head and a succession of positions within the bottles of predetermined elevational progression whereby each successive layer of olives is deposited in precise relation to its respective preceding layer.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for reciprocating a working member in a rectilinear path so as alternately to locate the working member ina predetermined position and a succession of positions of predetermined progression in spaced relation thereto.

arent C M' 2,785,575 Patented Mar. 19, 1957 Another object is to provide a system for reciprocating the packing head of a packing machine between a predetermined loading station and predetermined packing stations in spaced relation thereto.

Another object is to provide a system for reciprocating the packing machine between a predetermined loading station and a succession of predetermined packing stations of predetermined spaced progression all in spaced relation to the loading station.

Another object is to provide a system of the character described in which the relative locations of the packing stations are adjustable.

Another object is to provide a system of the character described in which the locations of the packing stations relative to the loading station are adjustable.

Another object is to provide control means in a system of the character described which is speedily and easily replaced by functionally similar control means having diiierent packing station positioning characteristics.

Another object is to provide a cam controlled reciprocating system in which the can is speedily and easily replaced to modify the limits of reciprocal movement provided by the system.

Other objects are to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a device of the character and for the purposes set forth that is dependable in operation, suited to protracted use with substantially constant precision, and that is economical to produce and operate.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent in the subsequent description in the specication.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a vertical section through a packing machine incorporating a cam controlled reciprocating system embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the packing machine illustrated in Fig. 1, at a somewhat reduced scale, showing the reciprocating system in a succeeding position of its operation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, vertical, oiset, section of the packing machine, taken at a position indicated by line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the packing machine taken at the position indicated by line 4 4 in Fig. 1.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings:

Any suitable support frame is represented generally at 10 having a horizontal table 11 mounted thereon providing an opening 12 therethrough at a packing locus. A sub-table 13 is located beneath the table 11 in parallel relation thereto. A conveyor belt 14 or any other suitable means of conveying bottles 15 to the packing locus is mounted for travel in the sub-table directly beneath the opening 12.

A star wheel 17, of well known form, is rotatably mounted in the sub-table 13 on a substantially vertical shaft 1S and is driven by means not shown so as periodically to locate a bottle 1S in alignment with the opening 12 and to retain the bottle in such alignment until packed. An arm 19 is pivotally mounted on the sub-table transversely of the belt 14 from the star Wheel 17 and is urged by a spring Ztl into bottle engagement so that the bottle is dependably held in star Wheel engagement.

A spider member 22 is mounted on the table 11 in spanning relation to the opening 12 and provides a cylindrical guide portion 23 in axial alignment with the opening and in elevated spaced relation to the table 11. a

A gooseneck housing 25 is rigidly mounted on the table 11 and extended over the opening 12. A bearing 26 is mounted in the housing in vertical concentric alignment with the opening. A rack gear 27 is slidably mounted in the bearing 26 for reciprocal elevational w movement, and a packing head, indicated Agenerally by the numeral 28 is coupled to the rack gear at 29 and provides a lower end slidably mounted in the guide portion 23 of the spider member 22. The signiiicant structure of the packing head is described in the above identified co-pending patent application. It is sufficient at this point to observe that the packing head is elevationally reci-procated between a loading station, illustrated in Fig. l, and a succession of elevationally spaced packing positions in a bottle so as to pack .successive layers of olives or other articles therein. The olives are manually or otherwise located in the packing head at the loading station and are automatically discharged in predetermined positions in the bottles. Attention is now directed to the system for vertically reciprocating the rack gear and the packing head coupled thereto.

A pinion 34 is rotatably mounted in the housing 2S in -mesh with the'rack gear 27 and has a driving pinion 35 integral therewith. A sector gear 36 is rotatably mounted in the housing, as on a shaft 37 for reciprocal pivotal movement. A lever 3S is upwardly extended from the sector gear and it will be evident that pivotal movement of vthe lever serves to impart reciprocal rectilinear movement to the rack gear 27 and packing delvice 28.

So that the upper limit of reciprocal movement of the rack gear 27 and packing head 28 may be constantly maintained and the lower limit of the movement be regulated to achieve the elevational stepped progression for the packing of successive layers of olives, a slide member 42 is slidably mounted on the lever 38 and provides a downwardly disposed `concave cam surface 43. A compression spring 44 is provided between the slide member and a head l45 mounted on the upper end of the lever and serves to urge the slide member downwardly.

A bracket 4S is mounted in the housing 25 and provides ya vertical guide channel 49 therein vertically aligned with the pivotal mounting 37 of the sector 36. A bar 50 is mounted in the channel 49 for reciprocal elevational movement and mounts a cam positioning roller 51 on the upper end thereof in engagement with the cam surface 43.

A shaft 52 is rotatably mounted horizontally in the housing in vertical alignment below the bar 5G. A progression cam 53 is removably mounted on the shaft for unitary rotational movement therewith in any suitable manner. A cam following roller 54 is rotatably mounted on the lower end of the bar 50 and rests on the cam 53. As the cam 53 rotates in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. l, the bar 50 is elevated, elevating the slide member 42 on the lever 38.

A pair of pillow blocks 57 are mounted in the housing and provide a pair of slide vbearings 58 in horizontal alignment with the mounting 37 of the sector gear 36. A pair of axially aligned shafts 59 are mounted in the bearings for axial reciprocal movement toward and from said mounting 37. The shafts and their respective bearings are preferably complementarily splined and grooved so that the shafts cannot rotate in the bearings but are restricted to axial reciprocation therein. An internal closed cam 60 is rigidly mounted between the shafts in a substantially vertical plane. A push-pull `arm 61 pivotally interconnects the slide member 42 and the cam 60.

A shaft 64 is journaled in the housing 25 in substantially right angular relation to the aligned shafts 59 and mounts a sprocket 65 thereon. A crank 66 is eccentrically extended from the shaftl into the closed cam 60. Driven connection is made to the `drive shaft 64 of an 4electric motor or the like having a triple sprocket 68 mounted thereon by means of a chain 69 circumscribing the sprockets 65 and 68.

To rotate the cam 53 in stepped progression synchronized with pivotal movement `of the lever 38 and sector gear 36, a ratchet wheel 72 is mounted on the shaft 52. A pawl arm 73 is pivoted on the shaft and mounts a pawl 74 in ratchet wheel engagement. An eccentric 75 having a sprocket 76 integral therewith is rotatably mounted in the housing in substantial alignment with the ratchet wheel. A push-pull arm 77 pivotally interconnects the eccentric and the pawl arm. The eccentric is rotated synchronously with the crank 66 by means of a chain 78 fitted to the sprocket 76 and about the triple sprocket 68 mounted on the drive shaft 67.

The packing head 28 includes an elongated rod 86 pinned to the rack gear 27. As best shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 10, the rod has a lower end which mounts a substantially cylindrical head 31 thereon. A plurality of pairs of elongated transversely ilat resilient fingers yS2 are mounted on the head in a substantially circular arrangement and endwardly extended downwardly therefrom. The ngers provide inner edges and outer edges and the fingers of each pair are mounted on the head transversely substantially parallel to a plane radial to the head passed midway therebetween. The fingers of each pair are also longitudinally arcuate to provide facing concave surfaces 83 adapted to receive therebetween articles to ybe packed and are endwardly convergent therefrom as at 84. The article holding receptacles deiined by the facing concave surfaces 83 may be at a cornrnon elevation to pack olives or the like in a single layer or may be at different elevations so as to pack a plurality of layers during each packing step. This adaptability is described in the identified yco-pending application and is not more particularly defined herein.

A cylindrical sleeve 87 is slidably mounted on the rod di? for endward movement relative thereto and is operatively connected to an ejector or holding member 9d `disposed between the lingers 82 and mounted for movement relative thereto integrally with the sleeve. A spring, not shown, is contained by the sleeve and urges the .same and the ejector into an upwardly retracted position.

As described to the point, it will be evident that the ejector 90 and'fingers y82 are vertically reciprocated together upon rotation of the drive shaft 67. In order to eject olives or other arti-cles from between the lingers at the lower limits of reciprocation of the packing head 2S, it is necessary to hold the sleeve 37 and ejector 9i) downwardly upon initial return travel of the rod 8%, head 81, and fingers 82. Thus, as the fingers are returned upwardly, the ejector can hold the olives in place and the outwardly iiared character of the fingers urge the olives slidably outwardly into facing engagement with the bottle.

For the purpose of periodically interrupting the reciprocal movement of the ejector 90, a tubular brake housing 96 is mounted in lthe housing 25 radially of the sleeve. A pair of jaws 97 are pivotally mounted in the housing as at 98 and are loosely fitted to the sleeve 87. A spring, not shown, is mounted under compression between the jaws and serves to urge the jaws outwardly from lthe sleeve for free movement of the sleeve with the rod 80. A brake rod 102 is slidably mounted in the housing 96 and is operatively connected to the jaws so that movement of the rod to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, actuates the jaws to clamp the sleeve. A compression spring 107 is mounted on the brake rod 102 and serves to urge the rod to the right, as viewed.

A shaft 110 is rotatably mounted in the housing 25 in alignment with the brake rod 102 and provides a cam 111 thereon periodically engageable with the brake rod to actuate the jaws and hold the sleeve 87 against movement with the rod 80.

A brake sprocket 112 is rotatably mounted in the housing 25 and has driven connection to the sprocket 68 by means of a chain 113. A pair of bevel gears 114 provide driving connection between the brake sprocket and the shaft 110.

j Operation The operation of the described packing apparatus and the reciprocating system of the present invention is believed to be clearly apparent and is briefly summarized at this point.

Empty bottles 15 are fed to the packing locus aligned below the opening 12 by any suitable means and held successively in precise packing position by the star wheel 17. At the initiation of the packing operation, the paolo ing head 28 is elevated to its loading station, as shown in Fig. l, and stuffed olives or other articles to be packed are manually or otherwise positioned in the fingers.

Upon actuation of the drive shaft 67, the crank 66 is rotated and by engagement with the internal cam dll, the cam and shafts 59 reciprocate horizontally. As the cam moves to the right, as viewed in Fig. l, the lever 3S is pivoted into the position shown in dashed line, lowering the packing head into the bottle 15 so that the lowermost olives held between the lingers 82 are rested upon the bottom of the bottle. Upon return travel of the cam 60 to raise the packing head, the cam 111 actuates the brake rod 102 to clamp the jaws 97 tightly about the sleeve 87 holding the sleeve and ejectors 90 in their lowermost position. As the lingers move upwardly relative to the olives, the downwardly convergent twisted portions of the lingers thrust the olives radially outwardly into facing engagement with the bottle.

The shape of the cam 111 is such that the jaws 97 are released as soon as the lingers are withdrawn from the olives.

The packing head is returned to the position shown in Fig. l at which nthe lingers are again loaded. In the meantime, the pawl 74 has moved the progression cam 53 a single step so that the slide member 42 is now somewhat elevated on the lever increasing the lever arm effect thereof and decreasing the distance of travel of the sector gear 36 incident to reciprocation of the cam 60.

As the lever is then pivoted, the packing head 2S is Y again lowered into the bottle 115 but because of the reduced pivotal movement of the lever, the head descends a distance only suicient to position the next layer of olives on those previously packed. It will be apparent that by substitution of cams 53 of various sizes and shapes, the device can be adapted to various olive sizes, packing heads adapted to locate one or more layers at a time, and the like.

Again the brake operates to retain the ejector at the lower limit of travel while the lingers 82 are withdrawn from the olives to thrust the olives outwardly against the bottle subsequent to which the brake is released and the operations repeated until the bottle is iilled.

Upon return travel of the packing head 2d from the bottle after having positioned the upermost layer therein, the cam 53 rotates past its high point so that the follower 54 and bar Si) drop to their initial position andas a new bottle is fed to packing position, the apparatus is automatically conditioned for repeated operation.

To facilitate substitution of cams 53 of various sizes and shapes so as to control the progressive lower limits of reciprocation of the packing head, the shaft 52 is preferably splined and the cam slidably fitted thereto. A pin 116 or any other suitable means may be employed releasably to hold the cam in position on the shaft.

Although the invention has been herein shown and decribed in what is conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devices and apparatus.

Having described my invention what I claim as and desire to secure by Letters Patentsjis;V

1. In a reciprocating system, the combination of a substantially horizontal shaft, an elongated lever pivotally mounted on the shaft and susbt-antially radially upwardly extended therefrom, a slide member slidably mounted on the lever for movement longitudinally thereof in adjustable spaced relation to the shaft, a spring mounted on the lever urging the slide member toward the shaft, a helical cam mounted below the shaft for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the shaft, means operatively interconnecting the cam and the slide member for positioning the slide member longitudinally of the lever in response to cam rotation, and driving means synchronously rotating the cam in increments of stepped progression and reciprocating the slide member through a substantially constant predetermined linear distance of travel concentiically of the shaft independent of the positioning of the slide member longitudinally of the lever.

2. A reciprocating system comprising a substantially horizontal shaft, a lever pivotally mounted on the shaft and substantially radially upwardly extended therefrom, a slide member mounted on the leverl for adjustable positioning longitudinally thereof in spaced relation to the shaft and having a cam surface disposed toward the shaft, resilient means mounted on the lever urging the slide member toward the shaft, an elongated bar slidably mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement below the shaft and substantially diametrically thereof having an upper end disposed adjacent to the cam surface of the slide member and a downwardly disposed lower end, a roller mounted on the upper end of the bar in engagement with the cam surface of the slide member, a control cam rotatably mounted adjacent to the lower end of the bar, a roller mounted on the lower end of the bar in engagement with the control cam, a rotatably driven crank, push-pull means interconnecting the slide member and the crank whereby the slide member is reciprocally positioned through a substantially constant predetermined over-all distance of travel, and cam driving means rotating the cam in increments of stepped progression synchronous with the reciprocation of the slide member whereby the slide member is positioned longitudinally of the lever and the angular pivotal movement of the lever incident to reciprocation of the slide member responsively progressively modified.

3. A reciprocating system comprising an elongated rack gear mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement, a pinion gear in mesh with the rack gear, a sector gear pivotally mounted adjacent to the pinion gear in driving connection with the pinion gear whereby reciprocal pivotal movement of the sector gear oscillates the pinion gear and longitudinally reciprocates the rack. gear, a lever mounted for unitary pivotal movement with the sector gear, a slide member slidably mounted ou the lever for adjustable movement longitudinally thereof having a cam surface disposed toward the pivotal mounting of the sector gear, resilient means mounted on the lever urging the slide member toward the pivotal mounting of the sector gear, an elongated bar slidably mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement substantially radially of the pivotal mounting of the sector gear having an end disposed toward the cam surface of the slide member and an opposite end, a roller mounted on the bar in engagement with the cam surface of the slide member, a control cam rotatably mounted adjacent to said opposite end of the bar, a roller mounted on said opposite end of the bar in engagement with the control cam, a rotatably driven crank, push-pull means interconnecting the slide member and the crank whereby the slide member is reciprocally positioned through a predetermined substantially constant distance of travel in a direction transversely of the lever independent of its position longitudinally of the lever, and cam driving means rotating the cam in new essere stepped progression synchronous with the reciprocation of the `slide member whereby the slide member is positioned longitudinally of the lever and the di ce or pivotal movement of the lever incident to rocha, ocation of the slide member responsively progressively modiiietl.

4, ln a packing apparatus having a housing, the combination of an elongated rack gear mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement in a substantially erect position in the housing, a packing head borne by the rack gear, a substantially horizontal shaft rotatably mounted in the housing adjacent to the rack a rack driving pinion mounted on the shaft in mesh with the rack gear, a driven pinion mounted on the shaft for unitary rotational movement with the driving pinion, a sector gear mounted for pivotal movement about a i stant'ally horizontal axis in. mesh with the driven pin 3y reciprocal pivotal movement of the sector oscillates both pinions and elevationally reciprocates the h-ch gear, a lever mounted for unitary pivotal mover-x Y.nt with the sector gear and radially upwardly extended from the pivotal axis thereof, a slide member slid'ihly mounted on the lever for adjustable movement longitudinally `thereof having a downwardly disposed cam surface, resilint means mounted on the lever urging slide member downwardly thereon, a control cam rotatably mounted in thc housing, a cam follower engaged with the control cam and the cani surface of the slide member eleyationally positioning the slide member on the lever in response to cam rotation, a rotatably driven crank mounted in the housing, a push-pull linkage interconnecting the crank and the slide member translating crank rotation into reciprocal movement of the slide member to pivot the lever, an eccentric rotatably mounted in the housing, a drive linkage interconnecting the crank and the eccentric for synchronous rotational movement, a ratchet wheel mounted for unitary rotational movement with the control cam, and a pawl connected to the eccentric and in engagement with the ratchet wheel whereby the helical cam is rotated in stepped progression synchronously with reciprocal movement of the slide member.

5. In a packing apparatus having a housing, the combination of an elongated rack gear mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement in a substantially erect position in the housing, a packing head borne by the rack gear, a substantially horizontal shaft rotatably mounted in the housing adjacent to the rack gear, a rack driving pinion mounted on the shaft in mesh with the rack gear, a driven pinion mounted on the shaft for unitary rotational movement with the driving pinion, :a sector gear mounted for pivotal movement about a substantially horizontal axis in mesh with the driven pinion whereby reciprocal pivotal movement of the sector gear oscillates both pinions and elevationally reciprocates the rack gear and packing bead, a lever mounted for unitary pivotal movement with the sector gear and substantially radially upwardly extended from the pivotal axis thereof, a slide member slidably mounted on the lever for adjustable movement longitudinally thereof having a downwardly disposed cam surfaces, resilient means mounted on the lever urging the slide member downwardly thereon, an elongated bar slidably mounted in the housing in a substantially erect position substantially radially of the axis of the sector gear forrlongitudinal reciprocal movement and having upper t d lower ends, a roller mounted on the upper end of the bar in engagement with the cam surface of the slide member, a substantially helical control cam rotatably mounted adjacent to the lower end of the bar, a roller mounted on the lower end of the bar in engagement with the control cam, a crank rotatably mounted in the housing, a pair of substantially axially aligned horizontal shafts mounted in the housing for longitudinal reciprocal movement toward and from the lever, a closed internal cam interconnecting the shafts and receiving the crank therein whereby rotationy of the crank horizontally reciprocates 'the closed cam and shafts, a push-pull arm pivotally interconnecting the closed cam and the slide member for corresponding reciprocal movement, an eccentric mounted for rotation in the housing, a drive linkage interconnecting the crank and the eccentric for synchronous rotational movement, a ratchet wheel mounted for unitary rotational movement with the helical cam, and a pawl connected to the eccentric and in engagement with the ratchet vif-neel whereby the helical cam is rotated in increments or stepped progression synchronously with reciprocal, movement of the lslide member.

6. A reciprocating system comprising a shaft, a lever pivotally mounted on the shaft and substantially radially extended therefrom, a slide member mounted on the lever for adjustable positioning longitudinally thereof in spaced relation to the shaft and having a cam way defined thereby, elongated slide member control means slidaoly mounted for longitudinal reciprocal movement in substantially tliametric relation to the shaft having an end engaged with the cam Jay of the slide member and an opposite end, a control cam rotatably mounted adjacent to said opposite end of the slide member control means in operative engagement therewith, a rotatably driven crank, push-pull means interconnecting the slide member and the crank whereby the slide member is reciprocally positioned through a substantially constant predetermined overall distance of travel, and cam driving means rotating the cam synchronously with the reciprocation of the slide member whereby the slide member is positioned longitudinally of the lever and the angular pivotal movement of the lever incident to reciprocation of the slide member responsivcly progressively modified.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 

